Controlled delivery of T-box21 small interfering RNA ameliorates autoimmune alopecia (Alopecia Areata) in a C3H/HeJ mouse model.

Abstract

Autoimmune alopecia (alopecia areata) is considered to be triggered by a collapse of immune privilege in hair follicles. Here we confirmed that infiltrating CD4 T lymphocytes around hair follicles of patients with alopecia areata were primarily CCR5-positive with few CCR4-positive cells, suggesting a dominant role of Th1 cells in the alopecic lesion. Given this finding, we sought to elucidate the effect of cytokine therapy in C3H/HeJ mice, a mouse model of alopecia areata, by applying recombinant interleukin-4 and neutralizing anti-interferon-gamma antibody. We found that local injections of both interleukin-4 and neutralizing anti-interferon-gamma antibody effectively treated alopecia in C3H/HeJ mice. Results from immunohistochemistry and semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that intralesional injection of interleukin-4 suppressed CD8 T cell infiltrates around the hair follicles and repressed enhanced interferon-gamma mRNA expression in the affected alopecic skin. Furthermore, Th1 transcription factor T-box21 small interfering RNAs conjugated to cationized gelatin showed mitigating effects on alopecia in C3H/HeJ mice, resulting in the restoration of hair shaft elongation. Taken together, the use of gelatin-small interfering RNA conjugates promises to be a novel, efficient, and safe tool as an alternative gene therapy for the treatment of various human diseases. To our knowledge, this is the first report of effective controlled delivery of small interfering RNA using biodegradable cationized gelatin microspheres in an animal model of disease.

• Authors: Motonobu Nakamura, Jun-ichiro Jo, Yasuhiko Tabata, Osamu Ishikawa
• Journal: The American journal of pathology (Am J Pathol) Vol. 172 Issue 3 Pg. 650-8 (Mar 2008) ISSN: 0002-9440 [Print] United States
• PMID: 18245811 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Evaluation Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Monoclonal
• Delayed-Action Preparations
• RNA, Small Interfering
• Receptors, CCR5
• T-Box Domain Proteins
• T-box transcription factor TBX21
• Interferon-gamma
• Gelatin

Topics

• Adult
• Alopecia Areata (pathology, therapy)
• Animals
• Antibodies, Monoclonal (administration & dosage)
• Autoimmune Diseases (pathology, therapy)
• CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes (metabolism, pathology)
• Chemotaxis, Leukocyte (immunology)
• Delayed-Action Preparations
• Disease Models, Animal
• Female
• Gelatin (administration & dosage)
• Genetic Therapy
• Hair Follicle (pathology)
• Humans
• Injections, Intralesional
• Interferon-gamma (immunology)
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C3H
• Microspheres
• RNA, Small Interfering (administration & dosage)
• Receptors, CCR5 (metabolism)
• T-Box Domain Proteins (antagonists & inhibitors, genetics)